Dragon Lords
by adrielle.calaeyllen
Summary: "My son, you are the light, for all our people. You must go to Arcantha, and let them know that there is still one who survives. In Arcantha, you will find the gathering of the Last Dragon Lords. You will lead this world out of its darkness"- AU, DM/HG
1. The Lone Survivor

**Hey everyone! this is my first ever fanfiction, enjoy!  
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**Summary:**** "You, my son, are the light, for all our people. You must go to Arcantha, and let them know that there is still one who survives. In Arcantha, you will find the gathering of the Last Dragon Lords. You will lead this world out of its darkness, Prince Draco Malfoy. "**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Lone Survivor<strong>

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><p>Not only those of soldiers, but also the severed corpses and body parts of innocent women and children lay scattered across the ground, in the courtyard of the now crumbling castle of Arion, in the Western Lands of Veldra.<p>

He couldn't see past the wall of tears, couldn't hear past the ringing sound of battle in his ears. What bothered him the most was the smell. The smell of freshly spilled blood mixed with dirt and gore filled the air. The smell of smoke, fire and despair that spread across the once bountiful land, as he held his mother's broken body in his weakening arms.

"Tunnels… now, my son. You **have** to live. Find the letter… my last letter… with the seal of Arcantha. I love you… Draco…" He said nothing as he watched his mother's eyelids flutter, then shut, to never open again.

It was almost as if time froze. The pounding in his ears ceased, as he wiped away the tears that flowed from his blue-grey eyes, brushed back his white blonde hair, and felt the resolve to live return, as he processed his mother's last words.

To the left of the courtyard through the east gardens, lay the secret tunnels that his mother spoke of. Thundering footsteps and shouts of anger came closer to him from the right. The Tharcaean soldiers were getting closer. Lowering his mother's body to the ground, Draco left the garden, and began lowering himself down the stone well that was normally hidden from view behind the great oak tree. He put one hand on the hilt of his sword, and the other held on to the rusty rung on the side of the well and listened, as the footsteps thundered past him up into the castle.

...

"_Prince Malfoy! Prince Malfoy where have you hidden yourself now?" _

_Draco giggled, as he held on tight to the metal rungs inside the abandoned well in the east garden of the castle, knowing full well that his bumbling fool of a nanny would run right past, and never find him. _

"_Draco, come up this instant. You shouldn't scare poor Lydia like that," came the loving voice of Narcissa Malfoy from above. _

_His smile slid off his face, as he looked up into the smiling face of his mother. _

"_Oh mother, how do you always know where to find me?" pouted the 12 year old Draco Malfoy. No matter where he hid, his mother always knew where to look, to find her mischievous little boy. _

"_Darling, I played hide and go seek in this castle with your father on multiple occasions, of course I knew where to look for you!" Narcissa's smile dimmed at the mention of her husband, Lucius Malfoy. He was the King of Arion, and the ever loving father in the public eye, but those within the inner circles of the royal family knew that Lucius' once caring and merciful soul was diminishing by the minute. _

"_Son, I want you to remember these words very carefully. I'm about to tell you a secret you are not to share with anybody, especially not your father. Promise me, Draco. Promise you will keep what I am about to tell you, to yourself. Promise me you will not utter one word of this until the time is dire." Narcissa rarely sounded so serious when speaking to Draco. _

_Unused to the severity in her voice, all Draco could do was nod, and register the fearful look in his mother's eyes. _

"_At the bottom of this well, there is a trap door. You will find tunnels that lead away from Arion, to the woods of Corteza. There, a man by the name of Hagrid will have something special for you. Remember the words "Hodie enim lux et futura, nobis certamen." However, you are not to enter this well again unless I tell you to do so, understood?"_

_...  
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Draco's racing heartbeat increased even more, as he remembered the cryptic message his mother left him that one fine day 5 years ago. He was a curious boy, and the thought of leaving Arion and exploring the outside world never left him, but his fear of the unknown kept him tucked safely behind the walls of this kingdom. Until now.

Step by step, rung by rung, he lowered himself further down that same well, until he felt the moisture seeping into the bottom his boot. He looked below him and gave an anguished yell as he realized he could go no further if he wished to stay dry. It seemed like the fates were going against him, as he lost his footing and slipped right into the dark water waiting below.

He let loose a despondent, sarcastic chuckle, as he realized the water was shallow, reaching only up to his calves. Feeling around in the darkness, he had absolutely no idea how to find the trapdoor his mother spoke of. His fingers ran over the damp, moss covered inner stone walls of the well, trying to scope out any sign or clue to lead him to the secret tunnels. As he was moving across the edge of the wall, his knee brushed against a sharp edge, causing him to grunt and stumble to the side.

He reached down, and felt a wooden ledge, about a finger's length, 2 inches above the water. Awkwardly bending down, Draco rotated the ledge upward, and heard a soft click, as he felt the stone wall in front of him retract on itself, revealing a narrow entrance into a tunnel that was only tall enough for a dwarf to get through.

Cursing to himself, Draco hoisted himself into the opening, and crawled forward on his hands and knees, wondering how long this tunnel would extend. He crawled on for what seemed like hours, and only after he stopped for a break did he realize that the tunnel had been sloping upwards for the last mile or so. Feeling up the tunnel wall with his now dirt covered hands, he slowly pulled himself into a standing position, grumbling at his own stupidity of not knowing that the tunnel was now tall enough for him to walk upright in.

He continued down the tunnel, and walked right into a metal rung in front of him. Turns out, the tunnel had come to an end, and the only way left for him to go, was up the round, narrow

When he reached the top, his head hit a wooden roof, causing him to almost plunge all the way back down to the bottom. Luckily, his dirt-covered hands seemed to give him a better grip, and he held on for his life.

Balancing his feet on a rung and leaning his whole body against the back edge of the stone wall, he pushed upwards with all his might, but to no avail. He was slowly losing hope, and getting angrier by the minute. He punched upwards, causing a loud thud to reverberate down the narrow open space, and giving him an uncomfortable bruise on his knuckles.

Just as he was about to give up in frustration, he heard the sound of wood grating against stone, and saw a sliver of afternoon sunlight stream down onto his face. Squinting his eyes, his hands balled into fists in preparation for a fight.

What he did not expect to see was a bush of brown hair on the face of a very large man, staring down into Draco's eyes.

"I've been expecting you," came the course voice from behind the thick brown bush of hair. "The name's Hagrid. Now pull yourself up, boy. We do not have all day." The bush disappeared from view, as Hagrid turned around and walked toward a wooden hut.

Draco pulled himself out of what he now saw was another well, and followed Hagrid down the dirt path to his hut.

The hut itself was built of wood, and stood in a clearing surrounded by trees. Nothing could be seen past the various clusters of trees. They were so deep in the forest; he knew he was safe for the moment, and that he had reached the woods of Corteza.

Entering the hut, he came face to face with the point on and arrow attached to a crossbow. Looking up, he was met with the blazing brown eyes of the large man Hagrid, and his heart raced in fear.

"Hodie enim lux et futura," growled Hagrid.

Remembering his mother's words, Draco replied "nobis certamen?"

Satisfied, Hagrid lowered his crossbow, and walked over to the table in the far right corner of the hut to take a seat. He reached under the table to unlock a large mahogany chest, and brought out a scroll with three wax seals on it still intact.

"Well then. This is a medallion you must guard with your life, and here is your mother's letter for you. I am truly sorry about her passing".

Draco took the medallion and dropped it in the pocket of his breeches for the time being. He wanted to find out what his mother's last words were. He focused his attention on the scroll, and looked down at the seals. The red wax was old and starting to crumble, but they were unmistakably the Langdon and Malfoy Family seal, used by his mother before and after her marriage respectively. He did not recognize the third seal, but it read "Black". He broke the seals, and began to read.

...

"_My dearest Draco, _

_If you are reading this letter, it means that I am gone, and I cannot apologize enough. If I had a choice, I never would have left you in this dark, painful world. Never doubt for a minute that I have loved you with all my heart. I will miss you in my life beyond the void. _

_You must have a lot of questions. Let me begin with "Hodie enim lux et futura, Nobis certamen." That is an old saying in my family's language, and it means, "For the light of today and the future, we fight." The saying is not common knowledge, and only those who know of the secrets of Arcantha will recognize this phrase. _

_Oh my son. We never spoke of my family line. Your father told you I was born a daughter of an Arionian Duke, but that was a lie. He did not know the truth surrounding the circumstances of my family. I was adopted by Duke Langdon, whose wife was barren, and could not give birth. He kept this a secret though. He was a loving adopted father, and he complied to my wishes. _

_I was born in the far lands of Calibri, a princess to the Black royal family. You do not know of my home land, because it is located across the Arcane Sea, in the Eastern Lands of Ardovra. Not many who are living on the western side of the Arcane Sea know much about the East. Calibri lies to the north of Ardovra, and we were at war with our neighboring Kingdom of Radoc. We were a peaceful people, and were not prepared for the slaughtering that the Radocians committed. _

_You, my son, are the light, the "lux" for all our people. You, my son, are now the lone survivor of Calibri and Arion. My son, I hate to lay this burden on you, but you must go to Arcantha, and let them know that there is still one who survives. One with the blood of both Arion and Calibri. You must let them know to not lose hope. _

_It is not a simple chore to travel across the Arcane Sea. It is a weeklong journey by the fastest of ships, and the sea's temper is anything but predictable. This is the path you must travel, to follow your destiny. _

_Finally, I must impart an important piece of information that you must not reveal to anyone, even those who you think are trustworthy. This is the secret of Arcantha. This is what I have been working all my life to protect. Arcantha is the largest kingdom of the East. Most of Arcantha is shielded by the Haradorac Mountains. They form a circle around Arcantha, and shield the people of Arcantha from any who try to enter. _

_My son, in Arcantha, you will find the gathering of the Last Dragon Lords. _

_Yes, in the western lands of Veldra, Dragon Lords are just a myth. Even in the East, many do not believe that Dragons still exist. But those of Arcantha know the truth. There is a prophecy that you will learn when you get there. You must get there, my son, or all hope will be lost. _

_I do not know when the war will reach Arion, but it is sure to happen. Lucius and his dealings with the Tharcaean king Orion will not end well. Tharcaea has always wanted to wipe out the existence of Arion, and nothing Lucius tries will succeed. He is not listening to anything I tell him, and doom for our kingdom is inevitable. _

_You are not safe, my son, not until you get to Arcantha. _

_I know you have many questions, and I have tried to answer them, but I cannot forsee so far in the future, and I do not know when it will be safe for me to visit Hagrid undetected, so this is all I can give you - this letter and the Arionian Medallion. Put your trust in Hagrid. He has never led me astray, and he's a good man. _

_You are destined for great things, my son. Be careful whom you trust. Guard your heart, but know when to let the right person in. _

_I love you, and whenever hope is dim, know that I will always be watching over you and protecting you from wherever I am. _

_Hodie enim lux et futura, Nobis certamen._

_For today and the future, we fight,_

_Love with all my heart,_

_Your mother,_

_Narcissa Black-Langdon-Malfoy"_

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><p><strong>Thus concludes the first chapter! <strong>

**i hope you all enjoyed it, please leave me a review, i always welcome any help or comments on my writing!  
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	2. The Princess & Her Knight

**_Chapter 1 Recap:_  
><strong>_Draco's Kingdom of Arion in the Western Lands of Veldra, has been taken over by the Kingdom of Tharcaea. Having heard his mother's dying words, he escaped through a well that led to the hidden tunnels that ran through the underground of his kingdom, into the forest of Corteza, and met up with the mysterious man named Hagrid. He received his mother's last letter, and the Arionian medallion.  
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Now on to the next chapter! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Princess and Her Knight<strong>

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><p>"Please princess, we don't have much time! The king and queen are expecting you in the throne room in about five minutes, and you cannot go looking like that!"<p>

Turning around with her hands on her waist, Hermione Granger frowned and shook her head, dancing out of her handmaiden's grip.

"You need to loosen your corset, Marcia! It's hindering the air from going through your system into your head! You should try wearing a loose tunic and riding breeches like I am. I feel free as a bird!"

Just minutes ago, she was gleefully galloping on her beautiful brown and white palomino horse, Faeron, across the wide fields that lay to the north of her kingdom, and today she managed to make it all the way to the edge or the Corteza Forest! She did not enter though, for the fear of getting lost in the dense woods, and so she returned, but still in a very good mood.

Smiling, Hermione walks out of her room only to see her faithful knight and teacher Aidon, blocking her way.

"Sir Aidon, what is the meaning of this?"

"Princess, the king and queen wish to discuss your future with you. It would be prudent for you to head to the throne room immediately." He said this in a completely serious manner, but his green eyes twinkled, betraying his real thoughts on the matter.

"Oh Aidon, you know I don't wish to be wed to some arrogant prince from some other kingdom! I want to stay here! Mastering my swordplay and horseback archery. I'm not some dainty little princess who would be satisfied with balls and tea parties with other annoying royal pain in the behinds! How can father do this to me? Ugh." She turned around and marched right back into her room, flicking her long, smooth brown curls over her shoulder. Her chocolate brown eyes turned to gaze at her lean, feminine body in the mirror. "Fine. Help me dress Marcia; you do it a lot faster than I do. I will never understand all the contraptions on the corsets and petticoats."

…

A few minutes later, Princess Hermione Granger emerged, and was escorted to the throne room by Sir Aidon. As they neared the throne room, they heard the demanding feminine voice of her stepmother, Queen Alecto, from within.

"Perhaps, husband dear, we can marry her off to the wandering Khala tribe. They have been miners for centuries, and there are many jewelry pieces I would love to purchase from them. The leader of their tribe Nar Zeefa would gladly have her."

Furious, Hermione stopped outside the door, awaiting her father's reply.

"Alecto darling, Nar Zeefa is known for his large collection of wives, I will not sell my daughter for some pieces of jewelry. We have our own miners, and you have plenty of gems. No, this will not do."

Appeased, Hermione entered the throne room, Sir Aidon in tow.

Looking up at the man sitting upon the central throne, she noticed the wrinkles that were appearing on the sides of the kindly man's face. The king had a chiseled face with the jaw of a strong warrior, but eyes of a loving father.

"Thank you father, for not selling me out like a common whore. I'm sixteen, and I believe I can tell who my heart loves, and I definitely don't love that pig of a man Zeefa." She said, glaring at her stepmother.

The queen had a mane of red hair that glowed from the pampering it constantly received. Her dark black eyes revealed only a hint of her inner cruelty, but they were constantly masked by the fake kindness that she regularly affixed on her face.

"Now, there's no need to use that language with me, Hermione. I'm merely making suggestions to possible husbands for your future. Those who will have you, of course." Said Alecto, with a snide smirk on her face, throwing a glance to Sir Aidon. "After all, you are the first daughter to the King of Lithia, you cannot marry some common knight, that would be most **wrong**."

Aidon just bowed his head, saying nothing.

"Now Alecto, there is no need to speak to our daughter this way. Hermione, have you considered any of the suitors who have visited in the past year? You have eight to choose from." King Armand looked down at his daughter with their similar chocolate brown eyes.

"No, father. I want to marry for love. Not out of necessity. You know that. Plus, it's not so bad to have your beloved daughter by your side for a few more years right?" Hermione grinned cheekily at her father.

King Armand chuckled and replied, "of course, dear, we will talk about this at a later date."

Neither of them noticed the angry, dissatisfied expression on Queen Alecto's face.

…

Her practiced hands flew over the various belts and buckles, as she prepared Faeron for another ride.

"Princess, I would advise against leaving the castle so soon after an encounter with your parents"

Swiftly turning around, she slid her sword out from its sheath that hung on her hips, and swung it toward the intruder. Before she could see what happened, she had been disarmed, and the clang of her sword against a stone pillar rang out across the stable.

"Still sloppy, princess," smiled Sir Aidon. "Why don't we take a walk in the southern gardens? We seem to have much to discuss."

"Ugh. I can never catch you off guard. It's not fair," mumbled Hermione as she put away Faeron's saddle.

They strolled out of the stable, and headed south, toward Lithia's most beautiful collection of flowers and herbs. She loved walking through the gardens, especially with Aidon. There was something very romantic in taking a long, luxurious stroll, surrounded by the beauty and sounds of nature, listening to Aidon's deep, loving voice, as he educated her in the various properties of herbs and flowers they walk past.

"Princess, do you remember the properties of the _myrr _resin from this _Commiphora Myrrha _tree?"

"Hm…" Lurching out of her thoughts about Sir Aidon, she turned her focus to the crystallized resin that was bleeding out of the side of the plant in front of her. Scraping a bit off the tree, she lifted her finger up to her nose and sniffed carefully, cataloguing the smell in her mind. "The bitter spicy _myrr_ resin, effective for it's blood-moving properties, and used as the primary ingredient in many healing salves"

Smiling at Aidon, she dropped the resin and said, "I know every flower, herb and tree in these gardens and more, thanks to you. You are brilliant, strong, a master of sword fighting, handsome and perfect in every way. I do not understand why father wont permit our marriage!"

Filled with passion, she failed to notice the tightening of Sir Aidon's smile, and the diminishing of the twinkle in his once humorous eyes.

"Princess…"

"Aidon, stop it. I've told you countless times to call me Hermione. You know I cannot stand the formalities of royalty. Princess this, princess that, it irks me to no end!"

"Hermione. You know we cannot be. My loyalties lie with the King. He has forbidden our marriage, and I will obey him. But I will protect you wherever you go, princess." Reaching underneath his tunic, he brought out a thick, round, gold medallion, half the size of his fist. It was attached to a leather cord, which he brought over his head, and extended it to Hermione.

"This is the royal crest given to me by your father, the King when he knighted me so many years ago. You were but a little babe when he appointed me your teacher. He told me to give it to you when the time is right, and I believe that time is now. You may think you are all grown up at the age of sixteen, but I am thirty-four, and much too old and unworthy to hold your affections. Know however, that you will always be special in my heart, Princess Hermione Granger."

Carefully, he slid the leather cord over her head and let it rest gently across her breast, ignoring the stricken look on her face, as she picked up the medallion. She looked disdainfully at her father's crest, and cursed the man for marrying the witch Alecto. She loved her father, but could not for the world understand why he had to remarry. Sure, her mother passed away when she was three, but really, Alecto had no hand in raising her anyway.

Her curiosity took her away from her musings, when she her fingers brushed against the engravings on the back of the medallion.

"Hodie enim lux et futura, nobis certamen_? _What does that mean?" asked Hermione, keeping her gaze on the smooth engraving, so as not to meet Aidon's eyes.

"Ah, the wonders of Arcantha and the East," mused Aidon. "You do not know much about my family, do you Hermione?"

"Only that you were a peasant my father knighted, for saving his life on a hunt in the woods of Corteza. I believe it was a wild boar you saved him from? A boar about the size of half an elephant?"

Aidon smiled adoringly at the beautiful, intelligent young woman before him. How he wished he could return her affections, but it was not to be, for his heart had already been stolen by a woman who left him behind. A woman he failed to save from that same boar that tried to kill the King.

"Yes princess, that is correct. I saved your father, but I could not save my wife Esmerelda. I chose to step in front of the king instead of staying with my wife. The boar ran over her and punctured her lungs. She was dead within the minute. I managed to get my hands on the spear of a fallen guard, and because I was so angry, I threw the spear with all my might, and killed the beast with one thrust. Your father appreciated my skill, and allowed me to move into the castle for further training. I had already lost the one person that meant anything in my life, so nothing stopped me from moving in to the castle. A year later, I was knighted."

Stunned, she gaped at Aidon, not believing her ears. "You were married?"

"Yes princess. That is why your father will never permit this marriage. He knows that even to this day, fifteen years later, I am not completely over my grief. Esmerelda was my soulmate," he smiled, continuing mournfully, "She had hair the color of freshly grown wheat, and eyes like melting snow. She brought warmth into a room just by smiling, and I will never be able to forget her. We grew up together in the small fishing village of Gailee, on the East side of the Arcane Sea. Did you never wonder why we do not study the geography of the East? I am truly surprised that your curiosity was not piqued, when we went over the map of Veldra and yet there was nothing to the right side of the map."

"Yes, I wondered. I looked through all documentations of geography in our library, but there was no mention of civilization on the Eastern side of the world, just the scarce mention of the name Ardovra, so I assumed they were barren lands, devoid of human population," said Hermione, with an inquisitive expression glued on her face.

Smiling at her, Aidon continued, "There is no documentation, because not many manage to make it over the Arcane Sea to the West, and those who do, never feel the need to share the secrets of the East. Esmerelda was the daughter of the Kage of our village. Kage is the title given to the leader of our village. Sort of like the title of "Duke" in these lands. I was to son of a blacksmith, who traveled from the edges of the hidden lands of Arcantha to live the rest of his life peacefully in Gailee with his one and only remaining family member – me. At that time, I was only about four years of age.

We lived in the farmland next to the home of the Kage, and my father held a close relationship with him, as we provided the weapons for the Kage's guards and soldiers. In return, he allowed me to train with his soldiers from a very early age, not expecting me to want for his daughter. By the time he realized we had fallen in love, I was already a master in swordplay, and Esmerelda had already agreed to our union. Her father, naturally, was furious, and wanted to have me executed.

But by that time, I had gotten my hands on a map my grandfather made of the world. A map that had the most detailed drawings from his exploration on the West. What a rare treasure that was, and for my father to not understand the implications of such a map! He thought it was the fanciful drawings of a madman.

My grandfather was a traveler. A nomad of sorts. He could never stay rooted to one spot, and so he left his wife and son to explore the western side of the world. He arrived at the village of Gailee one morning, and walked into our cottage without a word and collapsed on the floor. He was dead by nightfall. Nobody knew how he got there, or whether he had even made it across the Arcane Sea. Nobody but me, for I was the one who sorted through his belongings, and found the map that led me and Esmerelda here, to hide from the anger of her father.

And that, princess, is the story of my life. The short version, of course. I feel myself traveling the same path here. Though your father accepts me as a knight, your stepmother has always held disdain for my peasant ancestry. I do not know what deeds she will commit, but we both know she is a power hungry woman, and we cannot forsee her next move.

We must –" Aidon was cut off by the sounds of thundering footsteps, that belonged to a small legion of personal guards who were loyal to Queen Alecto.

"What is the meaning of this? You dare interrupt the princess on her stroll?" Hermione glared at the head guard, a stocky, built man by the name of Antonin Dolohov.

Dolohov glared back at Hermione with his slanted eyes, saying "Princess Hermione Granger, you are being arrested for the murder of King Armand the Fourth, with the use of poison, by the order of the Queen."

"Wha-" Hermione slid the the ground, her eyes pooling with tears. "My father is dead?" she whispered.

"This is ridiculous! Release her Dolohov!" yelled Sir Aidon, as the guards made to surround the princess.

"You best be on your way, Sir Aidon. The princess is doomed to a life in the cells. Find yourself another play thing, there are plenty of women in this kingdom," sneered the cocky guard, "Take her away!"

Before Aidon could even draw his sword, Hermione had been knocked unconscious, and whisked away by the queen's personal guard. He punched a nearby tree in fury, and started formulating a plan in his head.

_**To be continued…**_

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><p><em><strong><strong>  
><em>**Hope you liked it!**

**I'm actually currently in search of a beta reader, so please PM me if you're interested, or know of anyone who might be interested!  
><strong>

**Please don't forget to comment! and I'll try to answer any questions via PM. :)  
><strong>


	3. Escape

**Chapter 3: Escape**

_Drip… drip… drip…_

"_What on earth is that sound?" thought Hermione. _

"_Beautiful Hermione, true daughter of Lithia, come to us." _

"_Beautiful Hermione, with the heart of gold, come to us." _

"_Beautiful Hermione, intelligent and brave, come to us."_

_She opened her eyes to see three women in pure white hooded robes standing in front of her. You could not discern the characteristics of their faces, being hidden the way they were, by the low cowls of their hoods. _

"_Who are you? Where am I?" said Hermione, looking around. She was sitting on a bed, in a pure white room. _

_There was nothing in that room but the bed and a small table in the corner, on which sat a beautifully carved and ornate mahogany box. The box was open, and revealed what looked like a very large silvery blue gem, the size of her head. Curious, she made to stand up, but realized she could not move. Her feet were locked in place. This brought her gaze back to the three women. _

"_Do not fear us, beautiful Hermione, true daughter of Lithia."_

"_Come to us, beautiful Hermione with the heart of gold."_

"_Beautiful Hermione, come to Arcantha, with your intelligence and bravery, and all will be explained" _

_The room started to waver and her vision started to fail. _

…

"Wait! What –" Hermione opened her eyes, and the first thing she noticed were her wrists, raw from rubbing against her shackles that hung above her head against the stone wall.

Looking around, she realized that she was locked in a dungeon cell well below the surface of the castle. Her jailer was a guard by the name of Yaxley. He was also a loyal guard to the queen. At the moment, he was grinning lecherously at her, sitting on a stool across the room from her cell, next to steps that led upwards.

Grunting, she shifted a little to her right, aware of the pounding on the back of her head.

_They must have hit me on the head to knock me unconscious. What on earth is happening? My father? How can they think that I would murder my own father? This must be Alecto's doing. I need to find a way to get out of here. _

Hermione glanced around her holding cell, trying to find anything that would help her escape her bonds. She moved her hands, and felt that she had about two candlesticks width of slack within the shackles. If she pushed hard enough, she found that she could slide her hands out of them with minimal damage.

_These shackles are made to hold men who are larger and much thicker than I am. You made a mistake in your calculations… "mother". _She thought bitterly.

Before she could continue her observations, she heard footsteps echoing from the stairs to the left of her cell. The hem of a richly sewn blood red dress appeared and her stepmother walked into view. Walking to her cell, queen Alecto smiled at her stepdaughter from outside the bars that held her in.

"Why, Hermione my sweet, darling daughter? How could you? Did you not love your father? Why would you slip that poison into his afternoon tea when you came to meet us privately in the throne room? How could you kill the man that loved you so?" Her voice was filled with false compassion and despair, but she could not hide the maniacal grin that spread across her face.

Hermione had once admired her stepmother. How could she not, when she was in her formative ages, and her stepmother's arrival in the castle was such a celebrated occasion. With her glowing red hair and slender figure, Alecto was the epitome of beauty. That was what attracted King Armand to her, and what allowed her to rein as Queen of Lithia. Now she saw the glint of evil in her stepmother's eyes, and berated herself for not looking past the façade at a younger age, to see how truly ugly Alecto's soul was.

"Nothing to say, my dear girl? You were always so quick with words, what is stopping you now?" sneered the queen.

All Hermione did was glare at her and say, "I will make sure you live long enough to regret this, Alecto."

Laughing, her stepmother looked haughtily down at her, "I wonder how you're going to do that, when your execution has been set for tomorrow at sunrise?"

Alecto threw her one more lewd smile, and made her way up the stairs and out of er sight.

"Don't try anything funny, princess, I've got a scary pointy sword right here," said Yaxley from his stool, still giving her his lecherous grin.

Turning her head and ignoring him, Hermione began to formulate a plan.

…

Three strikes of the bell. It was three in the morning, when Hermione heard a familiar voice sound from the stairs. She kept her head lowered, not believing her ears.

"I have a treat for you, Mr. Guard! I don't believe we've met, my name is Yarzia, and I'm a maid and I've come bearing gifts! We appreciate what all of you have done, capturing and guarding the King's murderer. Here's some mead, compliments of everyone from the kitchens!" A slender body appeared at the foot of the stairs, wearing the common dress of a maid in this castle.

"Aahh very nice to make your acquaintance Yarzia. I am Yaxley, and I would love to have some of this mead".

Before long, Hermione heard a thud, and she looked up, and saw Marcia, her handmaiden take the keys from Yaxley's belt, and unlocked the cell door. Hermione slipped her hands out of the shackles without much hassle, and smiled at Marcia.

"You are brave beyond words. Impersonating a kitchen maid? Your talents are wasted as a handmaiden, Marcia. You should be a spy for this kingdom! "

"Thank you for your kind words, princess, but it has been an honor serving you. Though you never failed to make my job difficult," said Marcia with a strained smile, "We must hurry. Sir Aidon is waiting for you at the top of the stairs. All the guards have been knocked out by the gift from the kitchens."

As they made their escape, Marcia continued, "Not many in the castle believe you killed the king, but the queen's forces extend past her personal guard. She has control of most of your father's soldiers, and nobody dares to defy her. The knights that tried have been killed. Oh princess, it was terrible!"

Hermione noticed Marcia's anguish, and held her hand, "I'm sorry Marcia, I wish I could have stopped it. But I promise you this, my escape is temporary. I will return to take my rightful place as the Queen of Lithia. I will make sure Alecto's crimes are punished. Leave with me, Marcia. You have proved your loyalty to me and my father's kingdom."

Marcia shook her head slowly, tears filling her eyes, "I'm sorry princess, but I cannot. I refuse to leave my graying mother and two young brothers behind. I cannot. I'm so sorry, please princess, save yourself. Put this on."

Marcia thrust a sturdy set of leather armor over Hermione's head, and laced it around the sides.

"This should protect you until you get to safety. I will miss you, princess. Be safe. "

When they reached the top of the stairs, Marcia pushed her into the arms of Sir Aidon, and turned, fleeing to safety.

"Princess, we must go." Aidon grabbed hold of her hand, and pulled her gently along, exiting the dungeons at the southwest side of the castle, near the stables.

Hermione ran to Faeron, who was saddled and loaded with packs, waiting for her outside the stable. Aidon jumped on his own brown stallion, urging her to do the same.

"We will ride to the Corteza forest. I know a man there, his name is Hagrid. He is perhaps the only human being to ever try living in that dense wood. He'll help hide us from the queen, and find a way for us to get to the East. Princess, we must get you to Arcantha. That medallion I gave you, do you still have it?"

Seeing her nod, Aidon continued, "Good, use that as a form of identification, but never let anyone take it from you."

They rode to the Eastern gates of the castle, but were stopped by the battalion of soldiers in their way. There were over a hundred soldiers there, and only then, did Hermione see the extent of the queen's poison. To be able to muster such a large force that easily, she must have been secretly instilling her own men and killing off her father's over the past years.

"For the King! For the True Princess!" yelled a voice from behind them.

Hermione turned and saw a group of twelve knights, dressed in their shining armor, riding toward them. The battalion of soldiers in front of them rushed forward to fight them, and to stop Hermione's escape.

Aidon grabbed Faeron's reins, and urged the horses to the right, trying to get them around the soldiers, but they saw what he was trying to do, and five of them separated from the main group, and pointed their spears at Sir Aidon.

Hermione watched helplessly, as Aidon slid off his horse and drew his sword.

"Ride, Hermione. Ride like the wind and don't look back."

Before he finished his sentence, he was already spinning with expert skill, twirling his sword in a series of cuts and stabs, maiming three of the five soldiers.

Hermione grabbed hold of Faeron's reins, galloped around the gap left by the falling soldiers, toward the open gate at the castle walls. She heard an anguished growl and turned to look behind her, despite Aidon's warning.

"No!" she yelled, as she saw eight more soldiers surrounding her beloved knight and teacher, cutting him to pieces. Before she could turn around, she felt an arrow pierce the left side of her leather armor, into her back.

The arrow had come from an archer above the castle walls, just as she rode out of the gate. The pain was excruciating, but she bit her lip and held on to the reins, continuing her gallop toward the north. She couldn't hear the sounds of anyone following her, but she rode on. She knew it was only a matter of time, before the queen's soldiers exterminated the remnants of her father's knights and came after her.

She rode toward the north, veering west, so as to get to the woods of Corteza, and to avoid the many wandering tribes of the far west.

Her thoughts never once strayed from Aidon, even as she covered the many miles between Lithia and the Corteza forest. His smile, his bravery, his loyalty, and her pain from losing him. She did not bother wiping the tears that were streaming from her eyes, because she knew they wouldn't stop.

Her resolve to live strengthened, as she vowed to avenge the death of her father and Aidon.

…

After many miles of riding across plains and fields of grass, she saw the dense forest of Corteza. Once Faeron plunged about a mile into the trees, she slowed him to a walk. She could feel his labored breathing, and knew that Faeron was just as tired as she was.

Hermione looked down, and saw the blood that was streaming down her breeches, with the arrow still protruding from her back. Her eyes were still tearing, so she did not notice her vision wavering, but she did feel the pounding in her head increasing. As Faeron continued to walk deeper into the woods, Hermione sat upon the horse, reached behind her, and yanked the arrow out of her back with the force of all her anger and despair.

She cried out in pain and dropped the reins, as Faeron slowed and stopped by the side of a big oak tree. Through the haze in her vision, she saw a young man exiting the back of a cottage and running towards her. For the life of her, she could not make out what he was saying, though he was shouting.

She felt herself sliding out of Faeron's saddle, and falling to the ground. She winced to herself, expecting to hit the hard ground below, but the thud and pain never came. She felt a pair of strong, muscular arms wrap around her, and the last thing she saw before her eyelids slid shut were two glittering blue-grey orbs that were shining with worry.

_**to be continued...**_

* * *

><p><strong>Here we are, where they finally meet!<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter, please comment! :)**


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